Spring Into Summer With Two of Shakespeare’s Timeless Comedies at Theatricum Botanicum

‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ kick off Theatricum’s 2025 ‘Season of Resilience’ in Topanga Beginning June 7th.

There’s no better way to spend a summer afternoon or evening than watching a play at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum’s glorious outdoor amphitheater, where two beloved comedies by William Shakespeare open the company’s “2025 Season of Resilience.” 

Launching the season on Saturday, June 7, Much Ado About Nothing remains one of the most exuberant and spirited battles of the sexes ever written. Sparks fly between Beatrice (Willow Geer) and Benedick (Aaron Hendry), “frenemies” whose relationship is defined by an ongoing war of words and verbal jousting. Yet beneath their seeming animosity lies a mutual attraction that neither dares confess, until circumstances unite them to rescue young friends Hero (Audrey Forman) and Claudio (Kelvin Morales), whose courtship has been marred by gossip and scandal — in the process unmasking Beatrice and Benedick’s own true love. With the scene re-set from Shakespeare’s Italy to the U.S. at the end of the Civil War, the story overflows with twists and turns, heartbreak and hilarity. Ultimately, the play’s humor and poignancy emerge from its unflinching portrayal of human imperfection, celebrating the resilience of love and truth as they triumph over deception and misunderstanding.”

The large cast features Lynn Robert Berg as Major General Penn, Jonathan Blandino as Boracio, Tim Halligan as Leonato, Cindy Kania as Antonia, ,as Margaret and Emoria Weidner as Don John, with Gerald C. Rivers adding an extra dollop of comedy as Dogberry. The creative team includes costume designer Jeffrey Schoenberg; lighting designer Hayden Kirschbaum; sound designer Lucas Fehring; properties master Carter Vickers; and wardrobe supervisor Beth Eslick. The production stage manager is Karen Osborne.

Opening the following afternoon, on Sunday, June 8, A Midsummer Night’s Dream might just be Shakespeare’s most entertaining and beguiling comedy, and it’s become Theatricum’s signature production as audiences demand its return year after year. Once again this summer, the venue’s wooded stage will morph into the enchanted woods of Athens, where mortal lovers chase and are chased, players prepare, and fairies make magical mischief. 

Theatricum associate artistic director Willow Geer returns at the helm. Christopher Glenn Gilstrap and Max Lawrence are back as Puck and Oberon, with Aubrey Saverino joining the cast as Titania. The lovers are played by Isabel Stallings (Helena), David Benne(Demetrius), Sophia Dawson (Hermia) and Kelvin Morales (Lysander), while the hilarious Mechanicals are headed by Alan Blumenfeld and Brian Wallace alternating as Bottom and Katherine James and Elizabeth Tobias alternating as Quince. Jonathan Blandino is Theseus opposite Sydney A. Mason as Hippolyta. Musical effects are created live on stage by Sky Wahl. The creative team includes fight choreographer Calvin (CR) Mohrhardt; costume designer Tracy Wahl; lighting designer Hayden Kirschbaum; properties master Shohanna Green; and wardrobe supervisor Beth Eslick. The production stage manager is Kim Cameron, who also designs sound. 

Theatricum’s beginnings can be traced to the early 1950s when Will Geer, a victim of the McCarthy era Hollywood blacklist (before he became known as the beloved Grandpa on The Waltons), opened a theater for blacklisted actors and folk singers on his property in Topanga. Friends such as Ford Rainey, Della Reese, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie joined him on the dirt stage for vigorous performances and inspired grassroots activism, while the audiences sat on railroad ties. Today, two outdoor amphitheaters are situated in the natural canyon ravine, where audiences are able to relax and enjoy the wilderness during an afternoon or evening’s performance. Theatricum’s main stage amphitheater sports a new and improved sun shade for increased audience comfort, installed with support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Ahmanson Foundation. Theatricum is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Margaret Harford Award for “sustained excellence,” which is the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s highest honor. 

Much Ado About Nothing opens on Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. and continues to run in repertory through September 13. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens on Sunday, June 8 at 3:30 p.m., with performances continuing through September 15.

Performance information

Tickets to performances range from $15 to $51. Premium seating is available for $64 ($60 cash at the door, subject to availability). Children 4 and under are free. Pay What You Will Ticket pricing is available on the following dates: for Much Ado About Nothing at the 7:30 p.m. performances on Thursday, July 31 and Monday, Sept. 8; and for A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Sunday, June 29 at 3:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Reservations for Pay-What-You Will pricing is available online the week of the performance, or pay cash at the door.

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga, midway between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley (*Please note that Topanga Canyon Blvd is currently closed between PCH and the theater; make sure to check for updates prior to heading for a performance. To access Theatricum from the Valley, exit the 101 at Topanga Canyon Blvd. South.)

The amphitheater is terraced into the hillside, so audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating. Patrons are welcome to arrive early to picnic in the gardens before a performance. 

For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 455-3723 or visit theatricum.com.

*Special thanks to Lucy Pollak Public Relations